Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-07-17, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, July 17, 1996 Publisher dr Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager. Don Smits, Production Manager: Deb Lord AdvertisIje Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy Maws; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke Production• Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Jrensoortation: Ai Flynn, AI Hodgen Buff Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Hollings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers .«°mJ r. • providing news, advertising and information leadership s • i Publications Mail Registration Number 0388 MIBILCEUEIMMINSI One year rate for Ontario subscribers • $35.00 + QST Two year rata for Ontario subscrbsrs - $63.00 + QST CANADIAN ADDRESSES OUTSIDE ONTARIO inionOns year subscription - $63.00 + QST Two year subscription • $119.00 + QST Outside Canada - $99.00 + QST Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by J.W. Early Publications Ltd. Telephone 1.619.235-1331 • Fax: 819-235-0166 O.a.T. aR105210a35 EDI IORI \I.. Follow the protocol omething appears to be wrong in Huron County and its no longer just anonymous letter writers who think so. County councillors came out firing against closed meetings and the lack of information available to the councillors at their last council meeting. Little stock should be placed in anon- ymous letters which attack innocent people but county councillor found plenty in the agenda to point to prob- lems in the way the county is doing its business. Councillors, including Turn - berry Reeve Barry McBurney, who are fed up with a disregard for accepted county policy, jumped on the first ex- ample available to them during the last session of county council before the summer recess. The county is hiring a new engineer. Sandra Lawson is the acting engineer. County council instructed administra- tion to advertise for the job in newspa- pers within the county and across the province. The agriculture and public works committee instructed the administration to wait until after the July council meet- ing before advertising. Why? We have no idea. McBurney and other councillors tried to get an open answer during the council meet- ing, but they were headed off by War- , den Bill Clifford who gave a vague an- swer that the committee was.reviiwing the situation. The acting replacement engineer Chret:en skips World AADSNur' vir, 1111rir Conference, but attend gathering of Girl Guides... rn•l`li.11ir ( P� should be considered for the job, but in public institutions open competition for jobs is a given. It's the public's money, the public should be aware that a posi- tion is available. In this case, the posi- tion requires some very specific knowl- edge. To get the best person available for Huron County, that position should be advertised openly across the prov- ince. After July's council meeting, it will be. The advertisement is in the Wingham Advance -Times. The disturb- ing part of the problem with the hiring of the engineer is blatant disregard for following of protocol. The world of public business is much different that private business. In the public sphere, it's our money. Private business is funded by private capital. Most of the time, we don't have a vested interest in the decisions, such as the hir- ing of an engineer. Protocol is estab- lished to maintain the integrity and effi- cacy of democracy. Some may seem strange and out of date and some are, but protocol should be changed only af- ter reasoned debate. What's happened in Huron County is a warping of protocol without proper de- bate and decision. As Colborne Reeve Bill Vanstone said at the meeting, a poli- cy book was set out for a reason. He may not know all of the details in the policy book, but it was obvious to him that:a committee's blatant disregard of a • motion of the County council was wrong. So it was. Wingham Advance -Times Your Views Letters to the editor Thanks to Huron County Huron County Chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation wish to thank everyone.... Dear Editor: The major fund raiser, the person to person can- vass, of the Huron County Chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, is winding down, and again Huron County has given its support, to a suc- cessful campaign, and the Foundation wish to thank the media, the chair persons, captains and canvassers, for their efforts, especially during the inclement weather that plagued the campaign, in February. Besides all those individuals who helped out in any way and the many businesses who have spon- sored events and contributed to the success of fund raisers, the Board of Directors of the Huron County chapter, wish they could thank each one individual- ly for their support in furthering the research to eradicate Canada's No. 1 killer. Research has helped to reduce the Heart and Stroke death rate by 35 per cent over the last decade! Our hope is that by continued research, Heart and Stroke disease will even decrease further and vic- tims will have a better quality of life. Yours truly Frank A. Williams Huron County Chapter, Communication Chair TORONTO - Premier Mike Harris says he is against government, interfering in people's lives, but he is fuming Ontario into the snitch capital of the world. The Progressive Conservative premier has said repeatedly government bothers residents too much and has begun the process of disman- tling some bureaucracy. But at the same time he has set up first a wel- fare fraud phone hotline and asked people to call and provide information on those they sus- pect are receiving welfare to which they are not entitled: Callers are not required to leave their names. The province will investigate all calls and Community and Social Services Minister Da- vid Tsubouchi claims they will save $23 mil- lion in welfare in the first year. The next snitch line was almost inevitable af- ter that for welfare fraud. The provincial audi- tor's annual report said the province is losing an amount which one source estimated at $3 bil- lion a year through tax dodges, mainly busi- nesses failing to report transactions and remit tax. Harris said the tax cheating is regrettable and he wants to stop it, but added that it 'seems to be human nature around the world.' The opposition parties seized this and ac- cused the premier of being less concerned about tax evasion by well-to-do business than welfare fraud by the comparative poor, al- though tax evasion costs taxpayers considera- bly more, and having a double standard, which the Tories indignantly denied. Finance Minister Ernie Eves insisted the To- ries view tax cheating as extremely serious and the province last month opened another hotline which it invited people to call and report those they suspect are tax cheats. Eves said the Tories are as concerned about tax cheats as they are about welfare abusers and taxpayers are tired of paying extra to make up for those who refuse to pay and want to crack down. Callers to the tax fraud hotline similarly are not required to identify themselves. Student job connection... By Tonya Riehl - Student Employment Officer After the interview The summer is flying by, the Canada Employment Centre for Students will be open until Thursday, August 1st. For students still l000king for summer work there are still a few job postings. If none of these jobs are of interest, I can offer help with resumes, cover letters, and conducting .your own job search. One credential that many employers and college and university programs require is first aid and CPR certification. For this reason we will be sponsoring a FIRST AID AND CPR COURSE on Monday and Tuesday of next week. We are an authorized provider of the Canadian Red Cross and the course will be taught by a certified first aid instructor. The course costs $60 and you can register by calling 235-1711. After the interview For the past two weeks I have dealt with the interview. This week I will discuss what to do after you leave the interview. After the interview, it is a good idea to send a letter thanking the interviewer for their time. This not only is a nice gesture, but it also keeps your name at the front of the employer's mind when they are making the hiring decisions. This will make a difference if the employer was having a difficult time making up their mind on who to hire. Be sure to write this letter in business letter format, the same as you would for a cover letter. You also have the option to call a few days after the interview to follow up. This too, will show the employer your interest and keep your name fresh in their mind. There are two possible outcomes of an interview; you receive a job offeror not. I will discuss the positive side first. If you are offered a job, you now have the option of accepting or declining the offer. If you are not interested in the job, you should call and write a letter thanking the employer for the a stude nt. offer and explain that you have decided to persue other interests at this time. Do this promptly to allow the employer time to offer the job to another candidate. If you are offered the job, accept the offer and arrange the details for example when you will start. Since you have put a lot of time and energy into your job search, you are going to want to keep this job. A few tips to help you on the job are: be on time, to telephone if you are going to be absent or late, and to be cheerfrul and cooperative with co-workers. You should not waste a lot of time talking when you should be working, save this for your scheduled breaks. Employers like to have people who are willing to learn new things and help out in emergencies. Try to think things out for yourself, but ask questions if you are unsure of something. Basically, use common sense and work hard. Next week, I will discuss what to do if you did not get the job and where to go from there. Until then! Harris sets up welfare fraud line Yet another hotline which motorists are asked to phone when they spot other drivers breaking laws, in which the Ontario Provincial Police participate, also has been expanded. Police want the public to let them know par- ticularly when they see motorists speeding, changing lanes improperly, following too close- ly, disobeying traffic signs and failing to fasten seat belts. They will try to intercept reported drivers and charge them if they see them break the law. They may charge also where the offence is seri- ous and the complainant willing to testify in court, but mostly will send warning letters hop- ing these will improve driving and will disre- gard anonymous calls on the ground that any- one who makes a serious accusation should stand behind it. Harris oddly stopped photo radar introduced by the previous New Democrat government be- cause he felt it smacked of Big Brother watch- ing. The snitch lines have merits. The small mi- nority of welfare recipients who fail to report money they earn, or live with men who support them, often are difficult to detect by officials, but known to friends and neighbors. Tax evaders often are known to others and police cannot see everything on every highway. People would report a theft if they saw one, it can be argued, so why not welfare and tax fraud? But there also are dangers, for example peo- ple calling with good intent but on scanty suspi- cions that prove groundless and subjecting the person they name to a worrying investigation and casting a shadow. Some will call in with no grounds simply to create trouble and settle a score, as they can more readily when they do not have to identify themselves. Even when calls are well-founded they create a climate in which people inform the state about acquaintances and neighbors and worry someone will inform on them -- this is getting remarkably close to Big Brother, which Harris says he is anxious to avoid. A